KONE UltraRope chosen to modernise New Zealand's iconic Sky Tower

July 14, 2015

KONE Corporation, trade press release, July 14, 2015

The iconic Sky Tower in Auckland is set to use KONE UltraRope®, a revolutionary carbon fibre based hoisting technology. The building, at 328m high, is the tallest man-made structure in New Zealand and the country's most popular tourist attraction. The observation decks and world-class restaurant facilities provide visitors with stunning views of the greater Auckland area and the surrounding coastline.

A combination of increased visitor traffic and aging equipment led to KONE being awarded a modernisation contract for the Sky Tower in 2012 which will see the equipment fully upgraded with a number of industry-leading KONE solutions.

Just months ago, KONE's latest innovation UltraRope was added to the project due to its ability to reduce energy consumption and mitigate the effect of building sway.

KONE UltraRope is a breakthrough carbon fibre based hoisting material designed to allow future elevator journeys of 1km - twice the distance currently feasible. "We are extremely proud to work with SKYCITY in the elevator modernisation of the iconic Sky Tower in Auckland," says Johannes de Jong, Head of Technology, Major Projects, KONE. "The modernisation from conventional ropes to KONE UltraRope in high-rise buildings brings tangible benefits in terms of energy efficiency, longer lifetime and less sensitivity to building sway. Over 3,000 buildings globally would benefit from a rope modernisation similar to the one taking place at the Sky Tower."

"The significance of the Sky Tower as a key part of Auckland's tourism industry can't be understated," says Arron Money, SKYCITY's Executive Manager Capital Development and Facility Services. "Maintaining and modernising our facility is crucial to ensuring we are providing an exceptional experience for our customers - ensuring people flow is optimised and visitor safety is maintained," he says.

The modernisation is currently underway and due to be completed in September 2015.

About KONE
KONE is one of the global leaders in the elevator and escalator industry. KONE's objective is to offer the best People Flow® experience by developing and delivering solutions that enable people to move smoothly, safely, comfortably and without waiting in buildings in an increasingly urbanising environment. KONE provides industry-leading elevators, escalators, automatic building doors and integrated solutions to enhance the People Flow in and between buildings. KONE's services cover the entire lifetime of a building, from the design phase to maintenance, repairs and modernisation solutions. In 2014, KONE had annual net sales of EUR 7.3 billion, and at the end of the year over 47,000 employees. KONE class B shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd in Finland.
www.kone.com

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